Fayte
by Miss-Zhoe-Kade
Summary: A girl has been abused by her father most of her life, ever since her mother left him. Until her brother helps her escape. Will she find her mother? Or will someone else find her?
1. Chapter 1

I looked out of my window, a single rain drop rolling down the thick, stained glass. My own tears trailed down my cheek, stinging the sensitive skin there. I could feel the bruises beginning to sprout all over my body, and my head felt like it was about to explode, the pain in it shockingly excruciating.

I had been putting up with this kind of abuse ever since my mother had left. My father was an unforgivably cruel man, and needed to take his furious anger out on something, and I always seemed to just be there. It did not shock me though. It seemed almost like routine now. Wake up. Abused. Got to school. Bullied. Get home. Abused. It seemed like my life was only a circle of pain and mistrust.

But what made matters worse, was that none of my beloved brothers did anything to stop my raging father. Bryan, my oldest brother had moved out before I had even turned eight. Shaun, Byran's twin was still here, but he always turned a blind eye to my father's rage, grateful it was not him on the other end of fathers extended arm. Cody, the youngest brother seemed the only one concerned for me. He would often argue with father. But as glad I was that someone was fighting in my defense, it did no good for me when Cody left, leaving father in a foul mood and eager to give out a good amount of abuse.

Today had been no different. I found that my room was the only place I was safe. At night anyways. Father was always in too lazy to come looking for me. Staying in my room by myself seemed like the smartest and safest thing to do. Every little hope I had had of today being different had vanished as soon as I had been awoken. I thought that perhaps because it was my birthday, father would not be so cruel. I was wrong.

"Sophie!" My father had screamed, pulling me up off the rotting mattress on the ground to my feet."Get your lazy arse out of that bed!" This was the usual waking. My alarm clock. But even after years of this kind of awakening, the pain never lessoned, and I'd found myself losing my balance, only causing father to rip strands of my messy and knotted blonde bronze hair out of my head. He had pulled me out of my room and into kitchen, where I was to do the dishes.

Father loomed over me, sending shivers of fear up my spine. He had been making sure I did them properly. Did he really have nothing better to do?

I finished the dishes, and then father backhanded me across the face for not drying them. I'd fallen to the floor and hissed in pain. The shock hurt the most. He had not told me to dry the dishes. Had I been expected to read minds now too?

"Get ready for school you ugly mutt!" he roared angrily at me, kicking me across the carpet. His steel cap boots did not feel good at all. I felt them breaking my ribs, or what felt like it anyways. I had received this a million times, being treated like the dog I was.

Believe it when someone says that if you tell someone that they are something long enough and they will begin to believe it themselves. I believed I was a dirty, ungrateful mutt. Why else was could I possibly be being beat like this?

But I was not scared. Until, of course, his voice lowered so it was only a low warning on his lips. "Just for being a little shit this morning, be ready for one of our little 'friends' this afternoon when you get home. Maybe then you will think about your actions." With that he left.

And now I was in my room. That had been this morning. After receiving the teasing and name calling at school all day, I had to come home, washed, then go straight to my room then wait the arrival of out 'guest.'

The walls were stained and peeling, with no hope of really knowing what the original colour was. It smelled horrible, like smelly clothes, body odor and rotten eggs. I shared a room with my middle brother Cody. He had his own bed, and I had a pillow and a blanket on the floor with our dog Freggo. The carpet was stained with blood in spots and other spilt liquids. It was a nasty murky brown colour, although the original colour was close to cream white.

Cody's bed was in the corner of the room, and his clothes were in a pile in the other corner, opposite his bed. My 'bed' was opposite his pile of clothes in another corner, underneath the window. When father felt like being especially cruel, he would leave it open. I would shiver and my body would convulse all night long. Freggo would leave and I would have no body heat.

But of course, I could not move. Father sat at the door, a beer in hand, glaring at me all night long. His stare send more shivers down my spine, and I could not sleep on those terrible nights.

Suddenly, a familiar face popped up in front of the window. His bright smile made me feel like I was already safe. Like my father would never touch me again. Cody.

"Come one, Lil Sis!" my brother whispered, sliding my window open inch my inch. "Quick! Before Dad comes down here. Or one of his guests." The window didn't seem to want to open enough to let me through though. A small gap was there; perhaps enough to fit my legs through, but even that would be lucky. The stupid thing just wouldn't budge.

The look of defeat on Cody's face made all my hope of escaping disappear. What was I going to do? Father always let his friends feel me up. I could no longer handle being their slave. I had to get away.

I could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. I could feel my heartbeat quicken, and I began to attempt to kick the door as to make more room. But it just would not budge.

"Oi!" My head whipped around and saw father standing at the door with one his friends by his side. "What do you think you're doing?" he yelled, running over the room and pulling me away from the window by my hair, his long, dirty fingernails digging into my scalp. I screamed and began clawing at his arm and his wrist, pleading for him to let go.

Father threw me across the room, my head smashing into the wall, putting a hole in the drywall. I could feel the warm liquid beginning to cascade down my face, drenching my hair and staining my clothes. I whimpered in pain, cowering into a ball on the floor.

I heard the sound of something smashing, and someone yelling my name. Had what I'd attempted to do really annoy my father? Shouldn't he have expected me to try and escape one day? I had put up with the abuse for 8 years, ever since my mother had left when I was nine. Did he really think I wasn't stupid enough to run away? Or try to anyway.

"Sophie!" I heard the same voice yell again, only closer. Cody. "Hurry Up! Before he wakes up! We haven't got much time!" He prodded and poked me, pulling me to my feet and pushing me to the door. My head was spinning. How hard had I hit that wall? And where was father? His friend? What had happened to them?

"Sophieee!" Cody whined, pushing me towards the window again. I focused my gaze on Cody. He was so worried. His wonderful eyes were a golden green colour, his eyelashes long, like mothers had been. But I had mother's eyes; a wonderful bright blue. His golden brown hair swayed to the left, flicking across his eyes and spoiling his view. His skin was white and washed out, and I could tell that something was wrong with him. Was father picking on him too now? Never. Father hated me. I looked so much like my mother. He took out all the hate he felt for her on me. I reminded him so much of her. "Snap out of it! You have to get away before they wake up!"

I looked at the floor and saw father laying there, his tongue lazily poking out of his mouth. Next to him was his friend, who was stirring in his unconsciousness. I finally realized I had very little time to escape, and had to hurry.

I pulled myself on my own feet, and climbed out the window, Cody helping me up and over. Glass was everywhere. He must have smashed it open. I had deep cuts on my hands and knees, blood pouring out on the bricks and running down my legs. I turned around to help Cody out the door when he let out a yelp and was suddenly pulled away from me, out of my grip and into my father's arms.

"Thought you could get away, did you? Huh? I think not!" he yelled at me, putting his hands on both sides of my brother's head. "Any last words?" he growled spitting out saliva as he yelled.

"Go! Sophie! Just leave! Don't look back! I'll be—"

Snap! Father twisted my brother's head, snapping his neck before Cody was able to finish what he was saying to me. Shock. That was all I felt. What was I going to do? Where would I go? I had to get away. But the sight of Cody's lifeless body on the floor kept me glued to the spot. I kept telling myself that he was only being mean, and in on a joke with father. That he would jump up and yell 'surprise'.

Arms were suddenly wrapped around me, and I turned my head to see who it was. Father's friend. He had come around the back and crept up on me. I began kicking and throwing punches, my arms and legs going out of control, trying to escape from the perverted mans grasp.

I finally got loose enough to turn my head and bite down on the hand that held me tightly on the top of my left arm. He roared in anger, his hand flying away from me and to his chest. I kicked him once again for good measure in the shins then took off down the street. I was not a very fast runner, nor was I coordinated. I stumbled over my own feet, which were uncovered and bare.

The street was more like a very long driveway with a few turnoffs to other farm houses. I was in the middle of the Green Kingston Forest, a vast landscape of forest and no sign of human life. If there was one place I did not want to get lost in, it would be this forest.

Night had already fallen, and I was having a hard time finding my way through the trees and bushes, trying to find some kind of normal living area, a simple house, with a white picket fence and flowers in the front yard. A house that looked trustworthy was what I was looking for.

I could not even find a house though. I was lost in the middle of the forest. I had not left my father's house in over three years. Only for school at the local church which father drove me to and picked me up from. I had no way of knowing where I was.

_What a birthday. I am the unluckiest person ever. Only this would happen on my birthday_, I thought to myself.

I began to run. If I ran, then maybe I would find a road…or a creek. Anything that would lead me to somewhere useful. I tripped and stumbled my way through the forest my lungs beginning to tire and my legs sore.

It was soon dark. I forgot how long I was running for. I just kept running. It seemed like the only thing I could do. I soon tripped over a rotting log in the ground, pain exploding in my shin.

I lay on the ground for a few minutes, letting my body recover from my long run. It had taken my mind of Cody.

Cody. How could I have forgotten?

Hurt erupted through my body. My heart felt as if it would rip itself in two. Cody was dead. He wouldn't be coming back. No! He couldn't be! Cody couldn't die. He wouldn't leave me here on my own.

I felt tears begin to slide down my cheeks. The stains left make it feel as if my tears are made of acid. They sting and burn their way down. My eyes are soon swollen and puffy. I rub them, wiping away the tears, but more only take their place.

I hear nothing but high pitched screaming. Whenever I close my eyes, all I see is Cody's, his face pleading for me to leave. His bright golden green eyes, the light fading from them, the life disappearing from them. His lifeless body falling out of my father's arm and crumpling to a heap on the floor. His face just wouldn't go away! It burned into the back of my eyelids.

My sobs and hiccups send convulsions through my body. Each unsteady breath is like razorblades on my sore throat. My screams echo through the woods. No one can hear me. No one can hear my pleas. No one has ever heard. They never have and they never will.


	2. Chapter 2

Green. Forest green. It's everywhere. It surrounded me, invading my vision and giving made me feel claustrophobic. The cold forest floor is scattered with dead composting leaves, the winter just beginning, the trees almost bare. Mother Nature was egging on the overgrown trees, encouraging them to let go and give into the cold, to make themselves become bear and finger-like, trying to grab onto me, hold me down and force me to face the horrifying fact that I seemed to only want to run away from.

Cody was dead.

Broken decaying branches and dead logs occupy the uneven ground, moss covering them, hiding the tiny yet frightening creatures that lived inside. Grass grows in the sunniest of places, its life short lived by the bugs and various animals that fed upon it before it even had a chance to live.

But, alas, I could not see more than a few measly meters in front of me. The darkness and silence that came after the bright sun set made it absolutely impossible to see in dark, gloomy forest. I could not hear anything. No owls calling in the night, their wise eyes watching me. All was silent.

The ground below me is slushy and cold, the decaying leaves sticking to my body as I lay on the ground. The smell of the rich earth leaves and the unpolluted air that was in the dark forest comforted me only slightly, filling my lungs with fresh air. My breathing was uneven. The sound of my throbbing heartbeat was the loudest thing. I could hear it in my own ears, like helicopter blades. I could almost feel it doing its job, pumping the blood through my exhausted body. I was shaking and shivering, my teeth chattering. I could not feel my tiny feet, my toes or my thin fingers. My nose felt as if it might soon fall off. My head was throbbing, a stabbing pain moving throughout it, making it feel as if it would soon explode.

The chilly air bit at my alabaster white skin, the cold breeze sending sensitive goose bumps over my freezing skin. All I wore was a thin white nightgown which now had had the forest floor covered on it. Small leaves were sticking to it and the colour now resembled an awful green/brown colour. It was no longer white. And it was no longer dry. It was covered in icky water, and I did not wish to know what had made the water that colour. I had not thought I would be escaping. But no matter how cold I was, no matter how much I hurt, I would rather than with my father. I felt responsible for my brothers' terrible death. If he had been smart, like Shaun and Bryan, he would still be living and breathing.

Smiles would reach his eyes, his lips turning up in the corners, holding that smile that made me feel so much better. Laughter would escape the throat the bore his husky voice that comforted me after father caused me stress. His heart would be beating, proving that he was alive and living, that he was breathing and healthy. Blood would flow through his veins, blood that too ran in mine. And now he was dead. I was all to blame for it. And I would never forget this.

But all this self blame thinking would not do me good. I had to get up, to muster the strength to move on, and keep moving. Never look back. Only move forward. My body just wouldn't cooperate. My arms felt limp at my side, my legs and feet frozen solid on the horizontal ground. I could not remember when I had fallen over or how long ago that it had been. All I could remember was how exhausted my body had been, how my heart had felt as if it had been ripped out of my chest. My eye sight had been blurry form the constant tears that had ran down my face. I was not in shock like I would rather have been.

The taste of defeat was strong and potent on my tongue. A copper and lead taste filled my mouth. I had bitten on my tongue and lips, thinking it would have somehow stop the painful and nipping cold. Jack Frost was sure doing a very good job tonight, nipping at my feet and nose with his chilly embrace. Old Man Winter too played a cruel part in my suffering. They worked as a team to keep me on the ground, to make me suffer the bitter cold, as if I had deserved such a fate.

Didn't the old tale of Old Man Winter say that the young girl was kind to Father Frost, and then she would be sent home with warm garments and fine things? Why was I not given these things? What had I possibly done to deserve such a horrible fate as this? Was I not worthy to live after being the cause to my good natured brothers' life?

Anger began to flow through me. I had not felt like this in years. I had never had the courage to stand up to father. I had always been too frightened. But I would not let my cowardice get me down. I would not longer let people step all over me like I was nothing. I deserved to live and life, and a bloody good one at that.

Warmth suddenly began to flood through my aching body, fighting the coldness off. It coursed through my veins, shielding me from the bitter winter wind that never seemed to still. It grew throughout my whole body, starting at my heart and spreading to my arms and legs, making me feel aglow.

I finally pulled myself to my frozen feet, the once cold blue blood rushing throughout my body. I took one unsteady step forward, the blood circulating to frostbitten legs. A terrible pain shot through them. The pain felt good though. It made me feel alive. It gave me a sense of purpose, that Cody had not sacrificed himself for me to die in this nightmarish forest.

The wind seemed even colder off the mushy, cold ground. Each unsteady step forward that I took seemed to get me nowhere. I was still stuck in the silent forest, with only the sound of my breath, my footsteps and chattering teeth to keep my comfort. Would I ever get out? My head felt like it would crack in half from the coldness. Thinking of things that confused me seemed to only make it worse.

My arms were purple and every inch was covered in sensitive goose bumps that hurt when I touched. My fingers and toes felt as if they might fall off, the skin on them a ghastly purple colour. I could not smell anything at all. The wind pushed up my nose and was making me sneeze and hard to breath.

Darkness was all around me. I could barely see my feet. All that guided me forward was my will to survive, to get away from the cold and shock that my brother was dead. His face was still in my mind, his voice screaming at me to leave; to never look back.

I sank to my knees. I could feel the bile rising and my mouth opening, but nothing but white saliva escaped my chapped lips. I was running on an empty tank that was sure to break down and never move again unless it was refilled soon. The stomach acid that had ran up my throat left me parched and in desperate need of water.

I rose to my feet again, this time stumbling through the dark forest, my whimpers and sobs seeming to echo through the vast land. I needed something to drink. My throat felt as if it were on fire.

I tripped over a short stick, the sharp edge scratching up my leg leaving blood trickling down it. I lay on the forest floor again with nothing but my breathing an unsteady heartbeat to comfort me, yet again. My throat is itching for water, for anything to get rid on the terrible pain in my mouth.

After some time, my breathing evened out and my heart rate returned to normal. Everything was silent now. Almost silent. The constant buzzing sound that occupied my throbbing brain was the only sound I could hear. Cody's face was etched into my eyelids, sketched into my exploding brain.

Something snapped in my mind. I was lost. I wouldn't be able to get out of here until morning. But would I survive that long? Would my malnutritioned body be able to survive the night? Would something come and eat me?

SNAP!

A twig. A twig had snapped. My head darted to the noise, my eyes straining to see through the darkness. It was blurry, and blotched, dots dancing in front of my eyes.

There! To the left of me stood something. It was about two and a half meters off the ground, its bright red eyes stood out in the night like a lighthouse at sea.

And these eyes acted exactly like a lighthouse. I did not want to go anywhere near them. They made me want to run.

Every survival instinct in my body was telling me to get up and run. My stomach felt terrible, like someone was stabbing it really slowly, pulling in and out. My heart was going one hundred beats a minute, my breathing detached.

I did exactly what my instincts told me to do. I ran.

But not for too long. I fell. I fell hard. It wasn't a long fall though. But pain was suddenly in my left thigh. Something was stuck in it, stabbed right through it; through the sensitive flesh and bruised skin, missing the bone by mere millimeters. A scream erupted from my lips, my lungs begging for air. Heat erupted throughout my body making me sweat. I felt on fire.

A stick. A very sharp stick. The end was pointed and sharp, like someone had purposefully sharpened the end. I screamed, the shrill sound echoing through the lonely forest, sure to attract wild beasts that would most likely eat me, ending my already miserable life.

I was in a hunters trap. The walls that surrounded me were dark black dirt, bits of vines and roots sticking out. It was at least four meters high, and two meters in width and length. Other sharp sticks pointing vertically in the air surrounded me. I looked around. My red blood was pooling on the floor, creating a small black pool among the leaves. Could I have possibly lost this much blood and still be conscious? How could someone survive this much?

I wouldn't be found until the morning at the soonest. And by then I would surely be dead. I had a meter length of wood stuck through my thigh. I was lucky I had lived this long.

My vision began to blur, the earth shaking and moving. My numb fingers were covered in dark red blood that would not stop leaking from my blood covered thigh.

Black dots danced cheekily in front of my blurred eyes, and my vision began to black out. I screamed, pleading desperately for the pain to stop, for someone to help me out of the mess I had gotten myself in. The bitterness of the cold moonless night air stung at my wounded thigh. The world around me began to shake. My body wouldn't stop convulsing.

The pain was all I would feel now. All I could see was the empty darkness, the sight of black unconsciousness behind my closed eyelids. The cold seemed to multiply all of a sudden. My thigh seemed so cold it felt as if it were on fire. Fingers. That's what it felt like it. Light featherlike fingers pressing lighting into my thigh. It felt…good. The last thing I saw before the darkness swallowed me was light violet eyes, staring brightly at me in the moonless night.


	3. Chapter 3

I could see the white blotchy circles dancing wildly in front of my closed eyelids, like I had been staring into a light for too long, and now it didn't seem to want to go away.

What had happened to me? I could not quite remember.

I hurt. It hurt. That's all I could remember. Falling, hurling towards a dark potentially dangerous abyss that seemed to have swallowed me whole.

What had I been thinking? Running blindly through the dark frightening forest late at night with no sense of direction or any way of finding a way out if I somehow got lost. How stupid and completely irresponsible could I have been?

My head stung violently and throbbed, a sickening pain spreading throughout it. I was on the verge of throwing up.

Something was stuck on the edge of my dry tongue, making it hard to swallow, and when I did, a dreadful pain erupted at the bass of my throat.

The sweet smell of mouth-watering food wafted my way, drowning out any other thought other than my empty stomach. It growled with feriousness and demand, controlling my body and mind.

My eyelids fluttered opened, and I took in the scene around me. I was lying on a large warm green and brown swag that wrapped heavily around my tense body. A small angry fire lay at least five meters from me, it flames crackling and licking at the dark wood that fueled it. The smell of nicely cooked potatoes and baked beans enveloped my senses, and I sat up and crossed my legs, waiting for whoever had made this deliciously fine yet simple meal to make their presence known.

'Good evening,' a sturdy, husky voice almost whispered, stepping out from behind a tall, thick tree and moving slowly to stand not three meters from me. How cliché.

I stilled and stared at the man. His light almost bleached white hair shone and glistened from the glare of the glistening fire. His stance was one of a predator that was so sure of himself; like he should, would and could acquire anything he wished. His broad shoulders and swollen chest spoke of confidence, and a large ego.

The overconfident man stepped forward and I shrunk back in sheer terror and fright. His mere presence made me jumpy, scared and n edge. His was powerful and...gorgeous.

His proud facial features were one of a god. His bright, light purple eyes seemed to glow violently in the almost moonless night. His jaw line was square and set a sign of disobedience and stubbornness. But also attractiveness.

And he knew it. He knew that he was a strong, fine young specimen that would get anything he wanted. He thought that he could just boss me around, because he was bigger and stronger. And he would most likely get what he wanted. I was only a small, slight little thing.

His cheekbones were high and defined and a smug smirk was playing on his plush lips. A devilish look was set in his bright violet eyes.

'Like what you see?' he said cheekily, smiling to himself and silently taking another step forward,

Well, I sure did, but I was damned if I would tell him that. 'Not particularly. I mean, if you're into that sort of thing.' I shrugged, moving my gaze from the ground to his left and back to his piercing gaze.

His toothy grin only seemed to widen, but he stepped away, retreating to sit by the smoky fire, and a good five meters from me, exactly where I preferred him to be.

'What is your name?' I asked bluntly. Covering my shivering body with more of the warm, thick material. I did not care for politeness at this point in time.

He chuckled to himself and poked the scorching flames with a strong and sturdy stick. 'My name is Xcallion. Xcallion Isfael'

What an odd name. But I guess my name was just as strange. But I had heard of my name before. Who in their right mind would name their kid Xcallion? I'll admit, my name was weird and fairly ironic, but his seemed unearthly. Out of this world. Out of this day and age.

. 'How did you find me?' I asked, staring at the handsome yet arrogant man who seemed to be staring at nothing in particular.

His gaze fell on me and I flinched. His piercing gaze seemed to hold mine in a way that said not to mess with him. I could do nothing but stare back, when the thing I wanted most was to drop my gaze and never look into his light purple irises again.

'You were screaming like someone was murdering you. It wasn't that hard, really. I was close by, in the area…hunting, and you were chasing of my prey.' He dropped his gaze, a small frown playing at the edge of his lips. He released his stare on me and I let out a lungful of air and shivered.

He seemed to be keeping something from me. What did it matter to me? He could have his own secrets. He owed me nothing. On the contrary, I owed him, with my life.

'Where are we?' I asked, a shiver reverberating through my body. I was not near enough the fire for it warm my body.

Xcallion sighed, clearly irritated. 'What is this? Twenty questions? Do you ever stop?'

I glared at him, my mouth wide open. He had brought me here! He could at least explain to me where we were and why? I didn't have to be here. He hadn't had to save me. He could of just let me die. But nooo. He saves me and then acts like I some kind of burden.

'Yeah, I guess it is,' I replied angrily, standing up and moving closer to the fire, dragging the swag along with me. I lay it in a neat little square on the ground then lay on it, stretching out and letting my bones crack.

'And I've only asked three. Seventeen to go.'

He chuckled at my anger and pulled a plastic plate from a small backpack to his right. He began to pile the baked beans and potatoes onto it. 'Is this enough?' he asked, handing me the plate. He seemed to have gotten over his temper tantrum. He was strange. His moods were off balance and nerving.

I nodded and began shoving the food down my scalded throat, literally. I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten, and my stomach grumbled and snarled, begging for me to fill it. I wanted nothing more than to oblige, and quickly.

'So,' Xcallion said awkwardly, poking the dirt at his feet with the toe of his boot. 'What's your name?'

I glanced at him then took another mouthful of the delicious food in my lap.

'My name is Fayte,' I mumbled around my food, covering my mouth with the back of my hand as I spoke. Ironically, my mother had called me that, then disappeared from my life.

Xcallion nodded and began poking the ground with his boot. He seemed shy now, like he wished to say something but did not know how to ask, or how to word it. Like he thought it might upset me to speak the words aloud.

I soon forgot about his nervousness. If he wished to say something, it would come eventually. My thoughts were otherwise preoccupied now that I had filled my empty stomach. Had I not hurt myself? There had been so much blood... And now I felt nothing.

I looked down at my leg and noticed that my legs were covered with loose track suit pants. 'Did you change my clothes?' I demanded, staring at the man in front of my in disbelief. Surely he hadn't. But the evidence was clear as day.

'Yes,' he said, placing another piece of dark wood on the fire. 'Besides, that thin nightgown you wore could hardly be classified as clothes.'

I glared at the man. He was right though. The then dress was not even what I would call a piece of clothing. Last I remembered, it had had blood stains, smudged dirt and large holes all through it. When Xcallion had found me, I doubt it had left anything of myself to the imagination.

I forgot about it for the time being. It didn't matter all that much anyway. What did matter was my leg. Before I had become unconscious, I was sure it had been wide open with a sharp stick going straight through it. Now, instead of a stick, was a large bandage wrapped tightly around my upper thigh. I poked and prodded it, but no pain emerged. How strange.

I glanced around me again. I was right next to the fire now, and I was unusually warm. It seemed like years since I had felt warmth on my blue veined skin. To my right was Xcallion, who sat at least a meter from me. His broad shoulders were hunched over in a tired way, as if he had not slept for a few days.

All around me were large, tall trees, varying from thick and short, to thin and tall. I could the distant sound of a wolfs howl and I shivered. It seemed familiar, I just could not pin point it.

At the sound of the wolfs howl, Xcallion lifted his head and stood, facing the direction the sad, mournful cry came from.

'What is it?' I asked nervously, a shiver coursing through my veins that had nothing to do with the cold weather.

'You've yet to open your mouth and not ask a question,' he snarled at me, his teeth clenched shut. He sat back down and kicked the ashes towards the fire. 'It's nothing. Just a lone wolf in search of his mate.'

I smile crossed my lips at his fondness for the beautiful animal. They were mysterious yet wonderful creatures. He seemed to know this, seemed to understand exactly how the wolf felt.

'Why doesn't my leg hurt?' I asked him, poking the bandage again. It was beginning to hurt again.

'Don't poke it!' Xcallion almost yelled his voice deep and gravely in irritation. 'I spent a whole hour wrapping it and making sure the pain wouldn't be there when you woke up! Keep poking it and my efforts will be wasted!'

I shrunk away from him and closed my eyes, my body automatically becoming tense and ready. Would he hit me?

Silence crept over the campfire. The only thing I could hear was the sound on the crackling on the fire and the various noises the animals make.

'What's happened to you?' came Xcallions' voice from my right, much closer than I thought he had been.

I flinched again, and shrunk away from him. His nearness and dominating presence was too powerful and it scared me.

'I won't hurt you, rabbit.' he whispered comfortingly. His hands was on the small of my back, rubbing up and down.

'Rabbit?' I asked, once I had calmed down. What did I have to do with a rabbit?

He chuckled slightly and stood back up again and returned to his seat near the fire. 'You're scarce, like a rabbit. And I hope you're not nocturnal like one.' he answered, folding himself up in a thin blanket and turning to face away from me. 'Now get some sleep. We set for my home tomorrow.'

Excuse me? We were leaving tomorrow? But I had so many more questions for him to answer. So many more things for him to tell me. Where was his home? Where were we now? How far were we from where he had found me? How far from father? How long would it take to get to his home? Who else shares his house? Would they hurt me?

'Shh. Sleep', Xcallion told me, rearranging himself on the hard ground.

'I wasn't aware I had said anything,' I replied bitterly, but lied down and wrapped myself in the thick, warm swag.

Xcallion laughed but said nothing more. He only shuffled around a little then was silent.


	4. Chapter 4

Light. Brightness was all I saw. Blind brightness was all that surrounded me. Nothing more, nothing less. Just white, no dimensions or shadows. Like a blank piece of paper. Like staring at the sun for too long and seeing nothing but white.

I moved my small, white, blue-veined hand so it was in front of my face, moving my thin, bony fingers, tensing and stretching them, watching the movement in sheer wonder. It made my hands feel strong and useful.

It felt amazing, like I had not felt the joys of the wonderful movement ever. Like, my whole life, I had been deprived of the natural pleasure of flexing my hand, spreading my fingers and balling my fists.

I moved my wrists in a slow circular motion, a small smile coming to my lips. I could hear the wonderful cracking sound my wrists made. I could hear the loud crack it made from where I had broken my wrist, like bone on bone, grinding.

My skin feels youthful; baby pink and soft. Flawless, no scars, or burns anywhere. Like nothing in my past had ever happened. I felt young too. Like all the sins that had happened to me, and the sins I had committed had left, leaving me flawless and beautiful.

I rolled my shoulders in union, and moved my head along with them. The muscles and ligaments began popping and cracking. Bliss. Sheer and utter and bliss. Really, I was surprised at the amount of cracks that were coming from my neck.

I began walking slowly, one foot after the other. The movement felt strange, but I could not quite figure it out. I put it aside. It would come back to me later on.

I began running. Just running, jogging. It felt great to be able to stretch my muscles to their full potential, feeling them move. Using them, knowing how strong they were, what they were made to do.

It would be better if I had somewhere to run to though, other than the nothingness that surrounded me. Blindness almost. It felt as if in any moment I might run into a white wall and hurt myself. It felt like running with your head down, watching your feet. You shrink at the tiniest of things, like lampposts and cars.

But I now entered a forest, leaving behind the white, frightening blindness. A dark forest surrounded me, tall and thick, which seemed almost as bad to me.

I was jumping over thick logs, skinny logs, rotting sticks with moss covering them and shallow holes in the hard ground. It felt heaven-like to be able to run, to feel the air going in and out of my unused lungs. It was like going for a run, and being unable to have a lungful of air, but that sheer moment when you are able a huge breathe that fills your whole body, your lungs…and gives that burst of energy.

Swirling vines occupied the thick trees that surrounded me, tightening their grip and leaving marvelous patterns in the trees. Bright green leaves were still occupying the lingering branches. The air was warm; not too cold nor too hot. Just right.

I jumped nimbly over a large dead log and into a shallow ditch.

I groaned a loud, punching the ground with my right hand. I had not been hurt this time, luckily. It was only a very small hole. Only a meter deep. I climbed out clumsily. Something was in front of me.

Leather. Dark black leather, with yellow and black shoelaces.

Shoes. Ten hole, unlaced, size 12 Doc Martens.

A pair of long sturdy legs owned the wonderful shoes, but they were covered by dark blue jeans that where neither too tight nor to baggy.

I raised my throbbing head to look at the curious person who these strong looking legs belonged to.

My eyes lingered on his molded chest for a moment too long. His abdomen was chiseled and defined, sending butterflies to my stomach. I moved quickly before he would notice, though I'm sure he already had. His neck and shoulders were intricate yet thick and tense with muscle... I moved on to his face.

I'm fairly sure my mouth made an audible pop. He was beautiful... And familiar.

His mouth was in a tight line, no emotion on his face at all. His nose was small and flaring, growing larger than smaller with every exhale he took.

Was he angry? Had I done something wrong?

His eyes. They seemed so familiar. Light violet, but they were not like before. The pupil in the middle was large and moving; growing from big to small with each breath he took, his whole body frame shaking.

But nonetheless, they were beautiful. Where had I seen them from? I knew I had not known this heavenly man in my life. He was much too good to belong in the world I came from.

'Need some help?' he asked his voice mesmerizing like silk...yet contained a whip of authority. I could almost taste the testosterone radiating off him, telling any other animal or man around not to mess with him.

I could not answer the masculine man. His eyes had me locked. I could only gap at him like a stupid little girl, and I guess in some ways I was.

'Get up!' he yelled at me, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me through the air so I was by his side, like I could fly. He pulled me to his side so I was flush with his chest, our toes touching. My chest was heaving, my heartbeat gone crazy. Would he hit me? The physical contact was thrilling, yet frightening at the same time. I had never had anyone hold me so kindly, so gently, yet so rough.

The violet was suddenly gone from his eyes that were now wide and glowing. The blackness was all that remained, the white of his eyes gone. I could only stare at him in shock. How had he picked me up like that? How was he doing that to his eyes? What was wrong with him?

His mouth opened wide like a black hole, like a kraken about to swallow me whole. He consumed me. But he was no longer a He. It was darkness. And it was cold. Pain erupted in my upper thigh, reminding me of what had happened to me. I knew it would come to me later on. I could see nothing. Being here was worse than the blindness I had endured only a little while ago.

I awoke at the sound of something shuffling against the dry earth. The sound a warm fire crackling filled my ears, comforting me. The smell of bacon and eggs enveloped my nose and made my stomach growl with hunger, provoking me.

Where was I? What had happened? My head spun with confusion and my vision was blurred and fuzzy. I wanted to sit up and face Xcallion, but my body would not comply. My muscles were twitching and having contractions.

My body felt limp, yet stiff and heavy at the same time. My muscles were tense and hard, and I was having tiny convulsions throughout my body. It felt like a current of electricity was coursing through my brain, electrocuting me.

'Fayte?' asked Xcallion, his voice showered with concern and worry. 'Are you all right?'

I nodded my head, not wishing him to worry. I knew what was happening. It would stop soon enough. They always did. I was perfectly safe, here with Xcallion. Wasn't I? He seemed to be true enough.

'Fayte? What's wrong?' His big hands skimmed lightly over my body, shaking, nervous and uncertain on what to do. I could see his face out of the corner of my eye. It was sketched with worry and concern. 'What's happening?'

Realization clouded over his face and he pulled me into his arms patting and rubbing me on the back. Xcallion hugged me close to his body, my right shoulder to his chest, his hands interlocking on my left shoulder.

'It will be all right. You will be okay, Fayte. I'm here. You'll be fine,' he whispered reassuringly into my ear, rocking me back and forth in his lap.

My mind was spinning though. All I could see was my father, storming towards me in one of his rages. I could see him pulling my hair and hitting me, throwing me across the floor, hitting me with the white picket fence paling one day when I went to get the mail. A shudder ripped through my body and the shakes only got worse. I was on the verge on unconsciousness.

'Fayte!' Xcallion yelled, shaking me in his arms. He sounded so distant, yet he was leaning over me, his frame much larger than my own. 'Come on. Wake up. It's all right. I'm here.'

My body was shaking. I could feel my muscles having twitches, could feel them tensing and releasing. But they were less. I could see Xcallions worried face looking down at me. My body was beginning to relax and my muscles were sore and limp. 'Fayte,' Xcallion said slowly, releasing me slightly, putting some space between us. 'What was that?'

He picked me up and held me in his arms as he readjusted the swag beneath me. He lay me down then covered me in the thick material. 'Fayte,' he whispered, placing one hand on the side of my head and wiping my red fiery hair out of my face. Beads of sweat occupied my forehead and he wiped them away too with the back of his sleeve.

I closed my heavy eyes and focused only on relaxing my tired body. Once I was sure I was calm and relaxed, I opened my eyes and looked up and Xcallion, his face etched with worry, concern and a hint of anxiety.

Bits of white, fluffy clouds floated above me, teasing, saying that they were free. I was not. The light blue sky was mesmerizing, a sure beauty of a sight to look at. It seemed so vast and large, overwhelming, almost.

'Fayte,' Xcallion said calmly, placing one of his big hands lightly on my thigh. 'What happened just then?' A bit of anger was showing on his face now. He wanted to know what had just happened. It was nothing, really. But his grip on my thigh tightened and I winced.

I took a deep breath. 'I thought it wouldn't happen again. With the usual cases, it only ever happens once. I hate it. I've had it since I was small. Father used to-' I stopped myself just in time. Xcallion did not need to know about my past. He didn't need to know all the awful things that had happened to me. I couldn't taint him with my father's sins.

'What, Fayte? What did your father do?' He seemed very worried. But he could never know. I had started a new. No one could ever know my past again. I had moved on from all that.

'Don't worry about it,' I whispered, although I knew I should be worried. It shouldn't have happened again. That meant it was more serious that I had thought. 'All that matters is that I have generalized tonic seizures. Or Grand Mal seizures, really. It's nothing.' I kept my eyes to the blue sky. Perhaps I didn't have Grand Mal. I had to find out.

Xcallion was silent for a moment. I could hear a bird in the distance, calling to its mate, its children. I could almost hear the clockwork in his head spinning and turning. He was smarter than I had thought. Her obviously new enough about my disease to know that something would have had to happen for me to have the convulsions.

He shook his head, trying to shake away the confusion and uncertainty that seemed to be swirling inside his skull. 'What happened to you to get these seizures? If my knowledge is correct-'

'Don't worry,' I interrupted, my voice rising in annoyance. He needed to just forget about it. I knew it was no small thing, my seizures, but they didn't concern him at all.

Xcallion was quiet again. I could see the muscles in his jaw working, tensing in annoyance I guess. 'Very well then.' He stood up from his place at my side and over to the dimming fire. 'I'll make you some breakfast. I'm sorry.'

Why did he feel bad? I was the one who had lashed out at him. He had nothing to be sorry for. He wasn't in the wrong. Although he had tried prying into my past, they gave me no reason to get frustrated and angry with him. I suddenly felt bad for lashing out.

Xcallion piled two round eggs and three strips of juicy bacon onto a white paper plate and handed it to me. 'I hope that's enough for you to eat.' He then stood and walked off towards the forest and just stood there, staring off into the thick dark woods.

Was he angry? Oh well. It wasn't his business what had happened to me. I looked down at my plate and began scoffing my mouth full of eggs. 'Mmmm,' I moaned.


	5. Chapter 5

'How long until we get to your house?' I demanded angrily, pushing away another bendy branch that Xcallion had carelessly flicked back into my face after pushing his way through the black forest.

The surrounding bush was absolutely wonderful, an amazing assortment of multi-colours that jumped out at me. Tall trees loomed over Xcallion and myself, making me feel claustrophobic and little. It reminded me too much of being stuck inside my father's miserable house for all those terrible years.

The forest smelt like bark, dead and wet leaves and wet wood, with the strong and dominating stench of redwood trees, their large trunks beginning at the muddy ground and winding their way up towards the canopy and sky above, like a stairwell to heaven.

I kept as much distance between Xcallion and myself, but it was rather difficult considering it was still dark. Xcallions definition of morning and my definition was certainly not the same thing. There wasn't even any light out. I had no way of knowing what time of the morning it was, but it sure was not any reasonable hour. Having being woken this early only made me irritably stubborn and intolerant, and Xcallions mean behavior was not putting me any a better mood.

I was still extremely put out by the incident with the bear trap. I had been so sure I was going to die. There had been so much blood and…and the sharp stick had gone straight through my thigh. I just had to keep telling myself that I had seen things…that I was just over imagining things and hallucinating after being lost in wandering in the forest for so long in the cold without food or water.

I felt sick just thinking of the pain I had been in, of the feeling that I was about to die. Once you get into your head that you're going to die, that you are already dead, being saved seemed like whiplash. Like I had seen the gates of heaven, but then being ripped mercilessly back down to earth. I knew I was in shock, that I should be asking Xcallion more questions about how he had saved me and where we were going, but right now, I was just happy to have someone in charge of me that actually cared for my well-being.

My skin felt like crazily itchy though, and every now and then my throat would feel like it was on fire for only a few seconds. My gums were aching as if I had a tooth ache and my head was spinning and throbbing. My tongue was dry and I was craving something to eat…or drink. A bit of both.

'Just keep following me. You'll see soon,' Xcallion finally answered my demanding question, interrupting my train of thought. His answer didn't make me feel any better, any hope of stopping any time soon. Perhaps I had believed him the first time he's said that, but after the twelfth, rehearsed time he's said this, like it was programmed into his brain, I just sighed irritably and stomped after him in the dark, grumbling to myself.

'I would follow you, but I can't particularly see anything,' I hissed at him venomously, tripping over a nasty root in the squishy ground and falling to my hands and knees, water soaking through the thick baggy track pants Xcallion had given me.

I heard him sigh annoyingly, and his light footsteps getting closer. How far away had he been that far from me? I'd been sure he had been only a few steps in front. From the sound of it, he'd been well over 5 meters. The idea of following him so blindly in the black forest frightened me. What if I lost track of him and got lost? Would he be able to find me again?

But how embarrassing! I'd fallen over in the mud, my hands covered in the brown, icky, earthly substance. And how irritating! How was it that he could see perfectly well in the dark and I was almost blind? I had no doubt he was cheating somehow. No human eyesight was that good. He would have to be using night time goggles or something high-tech like that. He seemed like the kind of mysterious person who would own something like that. Like an F.B.I agent or something, sent to take me back to headquarters where they would ask me question about my life and then arrest my father.

Xcallion grabbed my upper arm, his touch interrupting my train of thought again, his hand overlapping around my skinny biceps and curling tightly making me yelp. He yanked me up off the ground with amazing strength, like I weighed nothing at all, and stood me by his side. His hand stayed locked around my own, controlling where I went.

I looked up at him in shock and hurt, my arm throbbing. Did he know how tight he was holding onto me? His eyes were no longer the bright violet they had been when he had saved me. They were dark purple and fully dilated, the whites of his eyes barely even there. A dark frown was set deeply on his face, his eyebrows set low and angry on his eyes. The muscles in his jaw tightened and unclenched, the muscles underneath his skin moving in a manly yet annoyed and angry manner.

My heart jumped in my chest in fright. I had never seen something so intimidating. Not even father had ever been so seething angry, so frightening. A shiver ran through my body and my head shook with the chills.

'Be quiet. Don't yell. Watch your step. Follow. Me.' He ordered me menacingly, then let go of me roughly. I almost fell over again into the mud with the force of his release. His moved away from me then and I finally let out a breath I hadn't even known I'd been holding. I could feel the blood rushing to my arm, pins and needles but that was nothing to the pain I had already endured. It seemed almost…numbed. Like it didn't hurt as much as it should have.

And how much gall did he have? Getting angry with me for only falling over! I had done nothing wrong. But I stumbled after him anyway, quickening my pace to keep up with him. His footsteps were the only thing to tell me that he was there in front of me. My own breathing was ragged and breathless, like I've been running a marathon instead of just keeping pace with a complete stranger.

But every now and then I would get a spur of energy, and my pace would quicken and I would keep up with Xcallion so easily it was almost a joke that I couldn't before. But these would only last a few minutes, and before long I would be back to staggering and panting a few meters behind the man's strong back.

Well, time passed slowly, and my body began to tire, like any normal human. But not Xcallion of course. He was like some superhuman, some Olympian. I didn't care, just that he was someone who knew how to pace himself, how to keep his body in check. My legs felt like jelly and I was hungry. I had no idea how long we had been walking, but it had to be close to midday now, the warm winter sun boring down on the canopy above. You wouldn't even think that this forest was a death trap at night, so cold and so dangerous.

Xcallion hadn't let us stop all day, and every time I went to ask a question he would shoosh me, look around then continue on his way. It seemed like he was listening if someone was following us. But who would? No one knew me well enough to come looking for me, no one loved me at all. No one who cared. So they had to be after him. And he had dragged me into his problems. Of course. I'd just escaped my own, and now I was captured in his.

'Okay,' Xcallion said sternly, his voice normal like he'd been using it all day. Like we hadn't just spent the last seven hours in complete silence. 'We can stop here for a rest. Just be quiet and don't go too far from me.'

I frowned angrily at him. He didn't own me! Where did he think I would go anyway? We were miles from the only home I'd ever known, and still, I'd become lost in the forest anyway. Did he seriously expect me to be able to get away from him? He obviously knew the forest better than I did, and I would obviously have no chance in escaping.

Xcallion handed me a water bottle that was full. 'You've had this on you all along, and you didn't think once to give not even a mouthful?' I demanded in disbelief. I didn't wait for him to say anything in return, but began swallowing mouthful after mouthful of water. It tasted like silk on my dry, tasteless mouth, and I felt like I was in heaven. It hit my empty stomach with a pang, but I still continued swallowing hungrily. What was wrong with my body?

'So,' Xcallion said, almost to himself, sitting down on a peeling dead log on the ground. 'Tell me about yourself.'

I almost chocked on my water. Was he seriously trying to make conversation with me? This man must have a serious case of PMS. He'd seemed rather angry with me before. Besides, he honestly thinks I'd tell him anything about myself after only knowing him a day? The man was moody and rude. Not anything close to a gentleman. But then again, when are there ever any gentlemen in my life?

I laughed at him. Not a serious laugh I knew. It was shaky and nervous, and I wanted to slap myself for showing him I was scared. 'No way bucko. I want to know more important things than your opinion on my life.' I wanted to know a lot of things. I just didn't know where to start. How could I possibly ask him how he had closed up my leg in just a day without sounding crazy?

Xcallion seemed to understand though. He nodded his head than looked at his hands seeming deep in thought. 'You want to know how I found you, how I stitched you up and why your body is acting so strange, don't you?'

How he knew I wanted to know these things, I didn't know, but it frightened me. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up, the goose bumps rising on my arms and legs. The uncomfortable tingling sensation covered my body and I felt my back got straight and my body stiffen. My jaw was set in a tight line, but I nodded slowly, never taking my eyes off Xcallion.

He sighed and broke eye contact with me, looking down at a pile of dirty, decomposing leaves and going still for a few moments. He shoulders moved with each breath he took and I began to worry he wouldn't answer my questions. Not that I had even asked any, but he had to tell me.

Finally he looked up off the ground and held eye contact with me, his eyes a bright violet colour, desires showing deeply in them. I shrank back in the ground, cowering with the intensity in the small globes. They frightened me, for I did not know what he desired so much. I only had to ask I guess, but talking to this man was scary. He was strange and was constantly changing his mood.

'I was out hunting for my family when I heard you screaming in the woods,' he said quietly, his voice low and husky. 'I was a good three miles from where you lay in the bear trap. You were very loud, and lucky that I was there before something else got you that would cause you more harm. It was not as if you were stuck inside a cave and no one could hear you. You were very loud, and I'm sure every living thing in the forest could hear your screams for help.' He dropped his gaze again and began playing with his fingers, as if they had suddenly become so interesting. 'The sound of your screams was enough to keep a man up at night. It would have to be one of the most gut-wrenching things I've ever heard; blood curling. Single handedly the scariest thing I've ever heard.'

I could only stare at him in shock. I hadn't known. Had I really been that loud, surely not? 'But why did you save me?' He could have just left me there. I didn't concern him. I wasn't his responsibility.

He was silent for a few moments, still twiddling his thumbs. He let out a loud, shaky breath and answered my question. 'I felt obligated to help you. No human should ever unintentionally go through that kind of pain. I couldn't just leave you there, especially knowing you were injured and a woman at that. It would be cruel and unjust. You don't deserve to die like that.'

The depth in his words moved me deeply. How could someone who barely knew me feel so much? My own father had never liked me so much. He held a great hate for me, I knew. My eyes were on Xcallion as I thought of my father, and I saw his head incline in my direction. Was he partly deaf? No, he couldn't be. He's heard me the other day. Then why was it that every time I thought of something concerning my personal life, Xcallion always inclined his head towards me?

I was silent for a moment or two. I didn't know what to say. What could I possibly say to that? Thank you? And if I don't deserve to die like that, then how do I deserve to die? And how did he know I was a girl? Surely my screams hadn't been that feminine that it had been that obvious.

My eyes flickered from the ground to my hands in repetition. I was speechless, and was desperate to think of something to say that would break the soon-to-be awkward silence. The said silence seemed to stretch on and on, neither of us thinking of any words that would break it.

But then a sudden pain filled my body. Not my body in particular, but my insides; my bones almost. Like they were stretching and burning, like they were growing stronger with each passing second that I sat on the moist ground. My gums were still aching, my throat burning and my tongue dry although I had just downed nearly I whole litre of water, and my head was throbbing all of a sudden, a blinding headache passing through my brain for two seconds, but in those two seconds I saw an image that shocked me, knocking the breath out of me. It was clear as day, and now it was etched into my retinas.

It was just an image of my father, his face angry, filled with rage. But this rage was different. He was sober in this image, his eyes not glassed over and red and puffy. His eyebrows were set low on his eyes, and his mouth was set in a line. He was glaring at me, his face set in such anger that I started shivering and shaking, my body tensing for the bashing that would usually commence whenever this awful look crossed his face.

Someone was saying my name, but all I saw was my father face. I couldn't let it out of my mind. How had it gotten there? The pain in my bones was gone now, but I was tired. I felt my body beginning to rock side to side, my legs bunched up to my chest with my arms circling my body.

'Sophie!' someone yelled, my gaze automatically locked on Xcallion, who was squatting on front of me, his hands on my shoulders and shaking me furiously.

'How do you know my name?' I demanded him, shaking of his hands and pulling myself away from him. I had told him my name was Fayte. How did he know my real name? The only person who called me my by real name was Ron, my father. Everyone else called my Fayte or Soph. Chills ran up my spine and moved further away from Xcallion.

'How do you know my name?' I asked him, my voice shaky and nervous with fright. I had to know how he knew.

Panic crossed through Xcallions eyes, but he quickly hid it. His tried to reach for me but I whimpered and shrinked away from his touch. He was hiding something, and I wanted to know what. He was taking me to his house. I had to know.

'You were saying it in your sleep the other night. I assumed you had another name. Fayte seemed too made up. Why did you lie and say your name was Fayte in the first place?' he asked me suspiciously, sitting back on his hindquarters.

'I wanted a new start,' I replied, staring at him in disbelief but letting the lie pass. Why would I say my own name in my sleep? I never spoke in my sleep? I never slept deep enough to talk in my sleep. 'You're lying. I didn't say anything in my sleep.'

Panic and surprise flickered across Xcallions face, but he quickly hid it with a smirk of approval. 'You're good, I'll give you that. What do you want to know?" he asked, sitting down with his legs crossed and his head tilted to the side in wonder.

'Who are you really? What did you do to me after I passed out? And what do you want from me now?'


End file.
